


but that was years ago

by angrylizardjacket (ephemeralstar)



Series: And All The Queen's Men 'verse [6]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018)
Genre: Gen, Mini Fic, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 00:38:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16862953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ephemeralstar/pseuds/angrylizardjacket
Summary: Sometimes a red dress reminds you of a secret you've kept for a long time.





	but that was years ago

**Author's Note:**

> Just a lil babby extra bit to the And All The Queen’s Men ‘verse. So this is inspired by @ginghampearlsnsweettea saying something about how the idea of Giselle and John would be cute and that it made her sad. It’s also inspired by me listening to Put Your Head on My Shoulder playing from another room and crying.
> 
> For reference, this is set on the night of Freddie’s party, before Freddie makes the comment about loyalty and Giselle figures out Roger has cheated on her.

“I used to have a real thing for you, back when we first met.” John’s the first to speak, he and Giselle sitting side by side on a bench in Freddie’s back yard, looking up at the stars as music filtered through from the main party from which they had both just escaped. Giselle makes a quiet hum of acknowledgement, and it takes a moment for his words to sink in, and she turns, half smiling.

“What? Really?” She’s half amused, but also a little abashed, he seems so sincere, it’s actually quite sweet.

“Well, me and half the male population, come 1976.” He said, grinning back at her, eyes shining in the moonlight. Ducking her head, Giselle’s still grinning as she tucks her arm into his, leaning against him.

“What makes you say it now?” She asked, and John looks back up at the sky, letting out a long breath.

“Your dress reminded me.” He muses, and Giselle laughs softly, looking down at the red, silk dress she had chosen for the party.

“The red slip one from the pub?” When she asks, he hums in agreement, and she huffs out a chuckle. “You know I hated that dress.” After a beat, she can feel him nod, and knows he’s smiling without looking. “That was a long time ago, wasn’t it?” Voice contemplative, she hears John quietly agree.

“Over ten years now, isn’t it?” He asks, and Giselle nods, resting her head on his shoulder. He pats her hand fondly. “So much has happened since then.” They’re both aware of their own wedding rings, quietly contemplative.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Giselle asked, voice soft, and John is quiet for a very long moment.

“Well, I was nineteen, and a bit of a fool, and then you left, and you came back and you were famous, and then we worked together,” after a beat, he continued with some hesitation, “and then you were dating Roger, and then we were both married.” After a beat, he huffs out a humourless laugh. “Didn’t want to make it awkward, you two are some of my best friends, after all.” He’s so sincere when he says it, and Giselle smiles, just a little.

“What do you think would have happened if I had said something?” His voice is thoughtful, he’s not pining for her, not anymore at least, he’s just curious, he’d considered the ‘ _what if’_ scenarios more times than he’d care to count, at least back in the early seventies.

“Back when we were nineteen?” Giselle asked, and he can hear the soft laughter in her voice.

“Yeah, back in that little pub,” he lets himself grin at the thought, “before we both got too famous for our own good.” And he lets her think for a moment.

_In her mind, Giselle sees young John, grinning at her as she sings on stage in the little speakeasy pub, and she smiles back. He’s waiting to talk to her after her shift, to ask her out, a little hesitant, but she’s grinning back, agreeing, and he looks so relieved. She gets picked up by EMI and he spins her around in a hug, tells her it’s incredible, and is so unashamedly proud of her. They take a break after being together for a year and a half, not because they don’t love each other, but because Giselle is going on tour, and Queen has just been picked up by EMI too, and they’re working on their album, and they’re both so busy that it doesn’t seem fair to one another._

_After the tour, they’re back together; she missed him on tour, was disgusted by the men trying to hit on her, didn’t they know she had a- oh. She works much closer with Queen than she did originally, she and Roger get along, though she thinks he’s a bit of a creep. She features in their early music on occasion, as they feature in hers. He writes ‘_ You’re My Best Friend’  _for her, and she cries the first time she hears it._

_She sees days where she wakes up after noon, and John’s asleep beside her, holding her close, warm and secure against her. There’s night when they watch TV together, her head in his lap, drifting off as he runs his fingers through her hair, and everything feels warm and as it was meant to be. He’d kiss her after she comes off stage after a show, just so proud and -_

“I don’t know, Johnny.” Her voice is quiet in reality, heart in her throat, voice catching on the old nickname. Part of her feels like she’s betraying Roger,John gives her hand a gentle squeeze, sensing her sudden mood shift.

“Was just a thought.” He mused quietly. After a beat, he asks, “how are things with Roger, by the way?” And there’s nothing malicious or vindictive, just that same genuine curiosity as before. Despite this, he’s mentally berating himself; he knows things have been weird between Roger and Giselle, because Roger was a dick and couldn’t keep it in his pants on tour, except he hadn’t thought to tell Giselle.

“They’re… they’re good.” She sounds mostly sure of herself, which only makes John’s heart sink at what he knows.

“Giselle, he…” and John’s lost for words, internal conflict raging within him about whether to tell her hear and now that she’s been cheated on, warn her that Roger was terrible for her, which he supposed she probably already knew to some extent, or tell her some other thing that would ultimately hurt her. “He really loves you, you know? He’s a bit of a dick, but he loves you.” That gets Giselle to laugh, a gentle and sincere sound, and she’s shifting away from him, preparing to stand up.

“I know.” And when she smiles at him, John knows she truly believes that. His answering smile doesn’t reach his eyes, he knows he’s only prolonging the inevitable. “I should head back inside, he’s probably wondering where I am anyways.” After a beat, she offers her hand. “You coming?” 

“No, I think I’ll stay a few minutes longer.” John looks back up at the stars, and Giselle pats him gently on the shoulder as she walks behind the bench to head back inside.

“For the record, you’re one of  _my_  best friends too, Deaky; I love you.” And he reaches back to catch her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, still looking up at the sky.

“Love you too, ‘Zelle.” And he lets her go; she goes back inside.


End file.
